plane table

¹

or plain table

noun

, Surveying.

1. a drawing board mounted on a tripod, used in the field, with an alidade, for surveying tracts of land.

plane-table

²

[ pleyn-tey-buhl ]

verb (used with or without object)

, plane-ta·bled, plane-ta·bling.

1. to survey with a plane table.

plane table

noun

1. a surveying instrument consisting of a drawing board mounted on adjustable legs, and used in the field for plotting measurements directly

verb

1. to survey (a plot of land) using a plane table

Word History and Origins

Origin of plane table¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Origin of plane table²

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Gujjar Singh, with the plane-table, was detained by bad weather higher up the valley.

From Project Gutenberg

Work on the wireless masts went on apace, and the geologist was abroad with his plane-table every day.

From Project Gutenberg

Stillwell commenced a contoured plane-table survey of the neighbourhood of Winter Quarters.

From Project Gutenberg

The finer ground matter is washed on a plane table, over which a current of water is made to flow.

From Project Gutenberg

When the neighbourhood of iron renders the use of the magnet uncertain, a plate or plane table is employed.

From Project Gutenberg